Abba are not banned from our dressing room, says Williamson!

ENGLAND captain Leah Williamson joked she will not “banish Abba” in the dressing room ahead of tomorrow’s Euro 2025 quarterfinal with Sweden in Zurich.

- By RACHEL STEINBERG, PA

The Swedish band’s “Does Your Mother Know” became a key track on the Williamson-curated dressing room playlist during England’s triumphant Euro 2022 campaign, where they beat Sweden 4-0 in the last four - a defeat made “easier to bear” by the use of the song, according to Abba's own Bjorn Ulvaeus.

It was a closer affair when they met in the qualifiers for this tournament, drawing twice, including the goalless July 2024 stalemate that was enough for England to book a direct place in the finals.

Hearing some Swedish fans had claimed Abba were better than the Beatles, and therefore Sweden would beat England, Williamson replied: “I don’t (agree with that) I’m afraid. One might be easier to dance to, but no.

“I don’t think that will be on the playlist, but it worked in 2022 so I don’t want to banish Abba completely.”